


For The Fun of It

by comic_books_and_bars



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Grieving, M/M, Mild Angst, Past Character Death, Slow Build, ftm character, rivalshipping - Freeform, seto wants to give him one, transgender character, yugi needs a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 17:02:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4530033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comic_books_and_bars/pseuds/comic_books_and_bars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after the departure of the Pharaoh, Yugi found himself wondering what he was doing with his life. Without the constant companionship he began to sink into a bad place. He no longer cared to make an effort to make himself do things he once found fun. He knew his friends cared for him, but it wasn't the same. Since Grandpa died they had been coddling him as if he were made of porcelain.<br/>Seto knew where his life was headed, as the CEO of Kaiba Corp his days were filled with hours of dull meetings and mountains of paperwork. With the constant expansion of his company he had little time to himself and found himself needing to get away. His one escape, Duel Monsters, had ceased to be a sufficient diversion after Yugi seemingly retired from the game. With no one to challenge him, what was the point?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I started writing this during my lunch break on my phone and I couldn't really stop. It's a work in progress, mainly being worked on while I'm on the train or during lunch breaks (as apparently that's when I can actually write, go figure).
> 
> This is unbeta'd. Comments and Criticism are welcome. Let me know what you think.

Nearly 10 Years after the departure of Pharaoh Atem, Yugi found himself wondering what he was doing with his life. He was still living in Domino City and spent his days in the Kame Game shop. With his Grandpa gone, having passed away two years prior, running the shop seemed more like a chore and he was yearning to break the monotonous cycle he was locked in.

Every day was the same, wake up at seven, open the shop at nine, work until eight, and sit alone thinking about times gone by until he fell asleep. There was little variance in his routine and it was killing him.

He found himself wishing he could do something crazy, get away, or just end his misery. While he always projected a happy exterior, when his friends showed up it became much harder to do. He didn't want to pretend anymore.

\-----

There were a great many things Seto Kaiba should be doing at any given point during the day. Today though, nothing could seem to hold his attention for more than a few moments. His inbox was ever growing and he had no desire to look through the hundreds of emails he got in a day. With a quick series of keystrokes he locked his workstation and pushed away from his desk to look out the windows behind him.

From his office he could see the city and the gray clouds rolling in bringing with them some much dreaded rain. It had been raining all week and today was no different. Taking the impending storm and his lack of focus as a hint he decided he was done for the day. No matter that it was only 11am, screw normal business hours - he's got money.

Ducking out of his office he snuck past his harried looking secretary, a woman in her early twenties with more colours in her hair than a rainbow, who was snappishly arguing with someone on the phone. He made his way silently to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. When they did it was almost noiseless. He hated his machines to beep or ding at him, as it was usually at the most inopportune moment. Getting into the elevator he pressed the button for the parking garage and subconsciously held his breath until the doors shut and he was making his descent. He sent Mokuba a quick text to tell him that he would miss the board of directors meeting and for him to proceed like normal.

When the elevator opened to the parking garage he clicked a button on his keys which caused his car, a sleek blue-silver convertible, to start up and drive to his location. The door opened for him without the pneumatic hiss one normally got with automatic doors and he slipped into the driver’s seat. Now that he was here he had another dilemma, where was he going?

\-----

Outside the shop it began to rain. The storm came on quickly and showed no signs of stopping. Yugi glanced up from where he was leaning on the counter reading that months’ issue of 'Duel', a Duel Monsters magazine. He let out a heavy sigh and lowered his head to return to his reading. The article was a profile piece about Jaden Yuki and his recent triumph at the Battle City Unlimited tournament. He remembered the boy fondly and was pleased that he was shown in the picture with his signature Heroes and the Winged Kuriboh during the championship match.

It had been years since he had last competed in a tournament and he had to admit that he did miss it. Every year he received an invitation to the now annual Battle City tournament, and every year he declined. There was very little doubt that were he to compete he would win, but that was never his goal. He played for fun, and lately nothing was fun.

He flipped the page absently and was shocked to see that a recent announcement made by Kaiba Corp stated the plans for a Duel Monsters Hall of Fame to be built near Kaiba Land Tokyo. The first inductees were speculated to include Kaiba and himself. To say the least he was embarrassed and wondering if he could get out of appearing in public. He hadn't seen Kaiba in person since his Grandpa's funeral and wasn't sure if he could face the man after turning down his tournament invites for the past few years.

\-----

The rain caused traffic to come to a standstill. Seto wasn't really sure the point of skipping out early on work if he was going to be stuck in his car going nowhere fast. Angrily tapping his fingers on the wheel, he waited for the right opening in the line of cars to cut down a side street, causing more than a few drivers to lay on their horns in alarm. He drove for a while, avoiding traffic where ever possible until he ended up across town. The street was mostly empty of cars, given that there was no food on this particular strip.

He sat at the red light when he noticed the Kame Game shop from the corner of his eye. The neon open sign flickered like a beacon, calling him to enter. Through the door he could see a solitary figure with ridiculous hair. Seto made the split second decision and, once the light changed, pulled into one of the two parallel parking spots. He got out of the car with his usual flourish, righting his trench coat before pushing the door to the shop open.

Ding!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seto and Yugi meet up for the first time in years. Neither of them really know what to say, and words aren't always necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who left kudos on the first chapter!  
> This chapter contains more angst. I'm sorry! I really hope to get to the fluffier chapters soon...
> 
> This chapter was beta-ed by my lovely wife, who actually understands proper punctuation. :)

Ding!

The sound startled Yugi out of his thoughts. He took a slow breath before straightening and looking up with a warm smile.

"Good Morning! Welcome to Kame Games! Is there anything I can... help you... with?" His normal greeting was derailed when he saw Seto Kaiba standing in the doorway, his hair wet from the rain. He couldn't make out the expression Seto was wearing, but it looked somewhere between concern and relief. "Kaiba?"

The taller male let the door shut behind him as he walked further into the shop, "Yugi." He came to a stop in front of the counter and, in a way that could almost be called hesitant, placed his hand on the glass. "It's been a while."

Yugi was stunned for a moment. Kaiba's appearance on today of all days made no sense. It wasn't as if he could possibly read minds and was here to stop him from doing anything dumb. It would probably be best to just smile and try to act normal. As he began to speak he moved his hands to shut the magazine. This caused his left hand to brush against Seto's and he faltered. Instead of pulling his hand away he let it rest so that their hands were fully touching.

"Ah... Yeah, it's been... awhile." He was frozen on the spot with how right that simple touch felt and how much it brightened his day. It shouldn’t and he should pull away, but he couldn't.

Seto made no move to pull away from the touch. He wasn't sure why he ended up here today, but after all he'd been through he knew there had to be some reason. So for the moment he simply enjoyed the feeling.

The silence between them seemed to last for an eternity; neither of them were brave (or stupid) enough to speak for fear of losing the connection they currently shared. 

It could have been hours that they stood there, barely touching, before a single tear rolled down Yugi's cheek. The sound of the tear hitting the glass counter was all it took for Seto to move his hand. This seemed to snap the smaller man out of whatever trance he was in. Yugi turned his head to hide his face from view.

Seto didn't speak and just lifted his hand to touch Yugi's chin and gently guide him so that they were looking at one another. No words were needed as he saw an expression he was all too familiar with: despair. 

He remembered when his own parents died and he closed himself off from everyone, even Mokuba. At that age he understood he had to take care of his younger brother and gave himself no time to grieve. Eventually his emotions became too much and he became hollow. It wasn't until Mokuba insisted that he should take care of Seto for a while that he was shaken from his depressed state. That and Mokuba giving him the biggest hug was all it took for him to let go and just cry until he couldn't any more.

Still unsure what to do in situations like this, he did what Mokuba did for him and moved behind the counter to envelop Yugi in a comforting (he hoped) embrace. Gently pulling him closer he took a deep breath and said the only thing that came to mind, "you don't have to do this alone."

Seto's words and the feeling of closeness cracked Yugi's resolve and he couldn't stop the first choked sob from escaping his throat. When Grandpa had died, his friends gave him (far too much) space and said things like 'I'm sorry' or 'it'll be okay'. It all seemed so routine and flat. This was different, Seto didn't say he was sorry or insinuate that everything would be okay, because it wouldn't.

And there was nothing wrong with that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi has a small breakdown and Seto is there to help him through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies that this took so long... I'm already half way finished with chapter 4 and it should be up by next week.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos! As I post this two people are going to get emails and this makes me super fecking happy! As always comments are welcome <3
> 
> This chapter is once again beta-ed by my lovely wife.

Yugi's quiet sobs shook his small frame and Seto could do nothing but hold him and rub one hand along his back comfortingly. He was no good with words in situations like these. He hoped that just letting him cry until he was ready would be enough.

Crying felt horrible, and Yugi would trade anything to make it stop. Each sob felt like it was pulling his carefully constructed walls apart from the bottom. He buried his face against Seto and let out a pathetic cry, "I don't w- want this. I can't-"

His voice was cut off by a hiccup that coincided with a particularly rough sob. He coughed for a minute which only seemed to make things worse. Once he regained his voice it was hoarse. "I'm sorry..."

Seto leaned back a fraction so he could look into Yugi's eyes. He seemed to be searching for something. "Don't be. Never apologize for taking what you need to live." His tone was caring, if firm. 

As Yugi opened his mouth to speak he was interrupted by a cheerful 'ding!' from the front door. With a quick glance to the door he could see that the intruder was standing in the doorway with their mouth open.

Yugi felt Seto tense against him and realized what their embrace must look like to an outsider. He hoped that this wouldn't end up in some tabloid and ruin Seto's reputation. When he began to pull away he was a little disappointed when he was quickly released.

Seto previously had no intentions on letting Yugi go so soon, but interruptions must be dealt with. In four calculated strides he crossed the small shop and - with the most politely menacing look - ushered the customer from the shop. "We're closed," he said while shutting and locking the door before flipping the 'Open' sign to 'Closed'. 

Yugi stood behind the counter fixated on the cool and calculated way Seto took command of the situation. He should protest that the shop was still open for another few hours, but the look Seto gave him after turning around made the words die in his throat.

The taller duelist crossed the distance between them and held out his hand motioning to the door that separated the shop from the house. "We should probably take this somewhere more private. I don't trust people to not run to the tabloids after what they just saw." He was ever the practical one. Yugi had to agree and moved to unlock the door and hold it open for Seto.

Once in the relative safety of the living room, Yugi looked up hesitantly, "thank you for..." He trailed off, at a loss for words. His hands fidgeted with the buckle on his collar as he tried to pull himself together. "Thank you for everything."

Seto probably should have expected Yugi to thank him for acting like any decent man would, but he didn't. He didn't see the point of it. After all the two of them had been through together it seemed the only right thing to do. "Don't thank me," he began as he removed his trench coat to hang it up by the door. When he turned to face Yugi and saw the lost look on his face he added, "it's what friends do. Right?"

The word 'friends' sounded so foreign coming from Seto Kaiba that Yugi could do nothing but laugh until he began to cry. This time his tears were of genuine happiness and exhaustion. 

"Yes, it is."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three weeks had passed since Yugi last saw Seto. The CEO was always working, so this didn't worry him much. His dedication to Kaiba Corp was admirable and Yugi wouldn't want Seto to not get his work done just so they could see each other again. This was why when he received a sudden text on Wednesday afternoon he was pleasantly surprised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been sitting on my phone unfinished for a few weeks now. Life and writers block kept getting in the way. :(
> 
> Hopefully the next chapter shouldn't take as long!
> 
> As always, comments and criticism are welcome!
> 
> This chapter was beta'd by my lovley wife.

Three weeks had passed since Yugi last saw Seto. The CEO was always working, so this didn't worry him much. His dedication to Kaiba Corp was admirable and Yugi wouldn't want Seto to not get his work done just so they could see each other again. This was why when he received a sudden text on Wednesday afternoon he was pleasantly surprised.

Seto:  
Close up early.

Yugi:  
Hello to you too.

Seto:  
Yes, fine. Hello, Yugi. How are you? Good? Wonderful. Happy?

Yugi:  
Close enough I guess... Why should I close early?

Yugi looked around the empty shop as he waited for Seto's response. He had been in the middle of dusting the shelves, a compulsive habit when the shop was slow. So far the shelves really didn't need it.

The screech of a Blue-Eyes called his attention back to his phone.

Seto:  
Mokuba wants you to join us for dinner.

Yugi looked at the clock, it read 3:46. That was a bit early for dinner, but who knew what time Mokuba and Seto ate their meals.

Yugi:  
Bit early isn't it?

Seto:  
No. On Wednesdays we cook dinner together. It's a long dangerous process. Trust me.

Dangerous? How could cooking be dangerous... His mind wandered for a few minutes until he recalled one time he tried to cook breakfast for Grandpa when he was seven and melted the kettle. He let the memory float through his mind for a few minutes, remembering the look on Grandpa's face when he saw his grandson crying over the destroyed kettle. He looked at Yugi like he was the most precious child in the world. Grandpa had scooped Yugi up and told him it was ok and thanked him for trying to make him breakfast. After that Yugi made breakfast with Grandpa every Sunday.

A smile spread across his face as he picked up the phone to reply.

Yugi:  
Alright. Do I need to bring anything?

He set his phone on the counter and shuffled around the small shop to box up the more expensive items and lock them away for safekeeping. He was just flicking the lock on the door when his phone alerted him to Seto's response. He took his time closing the blinds and ensuring everything was secure before walking back to pick up the phone.

Seto:  
Your deck. You never know when you might need it.

Yugi:  
My deck? Are we in danger of being attacked? Or are you looking for a friendly duel?

Seto:  
Mokuba's cooking has been known to send people to the shadow realm.

Yugi stared dumbstruck at his phone, rereading the last text for the third time. Seto had never before acknowledged the existence of the shadow realm, or even used it jokingly. It was an interesting change. He ascended the stairs heading for his bedroom in record time, stripping as he went. It had been two days since his last shower and while he didn't smell he suddenly felt the overwhelming need to bathe.

He deposited his clothes on the floor of his room before snagging a fresh towel from the hall closet. While he was waiting for the water to heat up he leaned against the bathroom counter to reply to Seto.

Yugi:  
Scary! Will you keep me safe?  
I'm getting a shower. When will you be here?

He hit send and set the phone down near the shower before jumping under the warm water. Yugi normally liked to take his time in the shower but he didn't know how much time he had today. When he felt sufficiently wet he reached for the soap only to realize that he was out. He cussed under his breath as he reached for the shampoo. It would have to do.

He was just rinsing himself off when his phone screeched. Hastily drying one hand off by shaking it vigorously he grabbed the phone to read the text.

Seto:  
Two minutes. Take your time.

A grin spread across Yugi's face as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. His hair was a mess but it would have to wait. An unfamiliar warm feeling coiled in his stomach. It wasn't altogether unpleasant.

It only took him a few minutes to get dressed. Jeans, binder, tanktop, sneakers. He ran a comb through his hair as he bounded down the stairs two at a time. As he stopped to get his deck the feeling in his stomach morphed into something familiar. Apprehension. The weight of his deck in his hand brought back both cherished and unpleasant memories. So many years of his life were dedicated to the game and the people he'd met along the way. Now he felt like he didn't have the right to use this deck. His heart clenched painfully as he put the deck into his pocket.

Unwilling to dwell too much on his thoughts he left the house, only pausing to lock up. When he turned around he was greeted with the sight of Seto Kaiba leaning against a sleek blue sports car. His posture was relaxed, waiting for Yugi as if he'd been doing it for years. A slow smile spread across his face as he pushed off the car.

"Hey, Yugi." 

Yugi's heart skipped a beat as he took in the full splendor that was Seto Kaiba. The grace and easy confidence the CEO projected smoothed away any apprehension he felt, replacing it with a strange mixture of excitement and awe.

"Hey, Seto. Thank you for inviting me." He took the few steps to close the distance between them.

Seto waved a hand dismissively, "it's nothing." He turned to open the door for Yugi, hiding the blush that blossomed across his face.

Yugi slid into the car, looking up when Seto closed the door in time to see his blush. As they drove off Yugi settled comfortably in the leather seat, content that tonight would bring something new.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shrill screech emanating from the smoke detector informed the occupants of Kaiba Manor's spacious kitchen that something was on fire. This might have alarmed a normal person, but not the Kaiba brothers. Smoking on the stove top sat another victim in a long tradition of horribly singed baked goods. What was supposed to be cookies turned into something more resembling volcanic ash than food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been far too long since my last chapter. This one had been sitting half written on my phone for a while... Work and life have been crazy. I finally got the chance to pick this back up again and thank you to everyone who commented. You really gave me the motivation to keep writing.
> 
> As always, beta'd by my lovely wife. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The shrill screech emanating from the smoke detector informed the occupants of Kaiba Manor's spacious kitchen that something was on fire. This might have alarmed a normal person, but not the Kaiba brothers. Smoking on the stove top sat another victim in a long tradition of horribly singed baked goods. What was supposed to be cookies turned into something more resembling volcanic ash than food.

Yugi took in the scene before him with equal parts horror and amusement. When Seto picked him up two hours ago he hadn't quite believed his claims about deadly cooking. Now, as he watched Mokuba fan smoke away from the cookies to assess the damage, he couldn't help but chuckle under his breath and move over to offer his assistance.

"Here, let me help."

Mokuba looked up and, despite everything, smiled wide, "thanks, Yugi."

He stepped out from in front of the stove to let Yugi get a better look and so that he could turn off the alarm with a few taps on his phone.

Yugi stared at the little lumps of coal on the baking sheet before walking to the pantry. The pantry was the size of his bedroom and had more food in it than anyone could hope to eat. Yugi idly wondered how much of it would spoil before ever being taken out. He hummed to himself as he gathered up the ingredients to attempt another batch of cookies.

When he reemerged he found Seto, who had left a few minutes prior to take a call, staring at the now empty cookie sheet. The CEO first looked to Yugi before turning to stare at Mokuba, "what happened?"

"We've invented a new type of coal. I like to call it Chocoal™ - patent pending," the teenager quipped, waving his hand out in a grand gesture as if he were revealing the latest advance in culinary science.

Seto took a closer look.

"I wouldn't let something that ugly, coal or not, out of R&D. Scrap it," He pointed to the trash with a long suffering sigh. The sigh was covering up an urge to laugh at his younger brother's antics. His arm remained outstretched until Mokuba had tossed the 'Chocoal™' into the trash. This took a minute as Mokuba tried to convince him to try it, for science.

While they bickered, Yugi was busily mixing the ingredients in a large glass bowl. At one point he had stopped to survey the brothers, only to accidentally catch Seto's eye. Yugi gave a shy smile and went back to mixing in a large scoop of chocolate chips. It had been some time since he felt this at ease and his heart skipped a beat as the taller duelist moved from his spot near Mokuba to grab a fresh sheet of parchment paper from the cabinet above Yugi's head. They were almost close enough to touch as Seto leaned around him. There was barely a hair's distance between his back and Seto's front. All it would take was for him to relax back a fraction and they would...

He never got the chance, because even as he was thinking it Seto had moved away to place the sheet on the still hot pan. He moved with such grace that Yugi stopped mixing and idly stabbed the batter with the mixing spoon. He didn't notice that Mokuba was staring until he spoke up.

"Is the batter ready?" He asked chipperly, not mentioning Yugi's halfhearted cookie murder attempt.

Yugi blinked for a few seconds before lamely handing the bowl over to Mokuba to slop spoonfuls down in no particular pattern.

Seto was quick to point out his inefficiencies, "you won’t be able to fit all the cookies on the sheet if you do it like that."

Mokuba waved his messy spoon in his brother's direction, "duh, because I'm going to eat the rest."

To prove his point he stuck two fingers deep into the bowl and scooped out a large glob right into his mouth. The resulting scandalized look on Seto's normally impassive face cause him to laugh with delight.

Yugi couldn't help but laugh as well, though he did try to hide it behind a hand. Clearly that didn't work well enough because Seto turned to look at him just as Mokuba tried to poke a spoonful of dough at his mouth. The gooey mixture smeared across his cheek and he visibly shuddered. "Mokuba..." His voice was barely above a whisper but was more of a growl than a true whisper. The look of amused horror that spread across Mokuba's face told Yugi that he wasn't actually angry. Mokuba didn't normally mess around when Seto was angry.

In the instant it took for Seto to turn on Mokuba the teen had dropped the spoon and bolted from the kitchen. His laughter echoed off the high ceilings as Seto purposefully strode after him leaving Yugi alone to contemplate the utter hilarity that this evening was quickly devolving into.

Yugi moved to where the cookie sheet sat on the stove top after grabbing a new spoon, the one Mokuba dropped lay forgotten on the floor. He was able to find space to add a few more drops of batter to the pan before putting it in the oven, careful to set the timer.

For a few minutes he just listened to the sound of the brothers echoing faintly in the distance. He took this time to clean up a bit and was just putting all the used dishes in the sink when he heard a triumphant laugh from Seto and a defeated yelp from Mokuba. He could hear one set of footsteps approach the kitchen door, but two voices. So when Seto reentered the kitchen, Mokuba over one shoulder, Yugi couldn't help but lean against the sink with a broad smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cookie's are finally coming out of the oven! Mokuba begins to formulate a plan to make the two people closest to him happy and secure a never ending supply of sweets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Oh my goodness, it has been a while since I posted an update last. Thank you for all of your kind comments they keep me going when I can't seem to find my inspiration. :)  
> This chapter is currently un-beta'd but I wanted to get it to ya'll as soon as I finished it.  
> Enjoy!

Mokuba's laughter turned into a muffled plea for mercy as Seto caught up to him and grappled the younger male in a fierce hug. Seto's revenge came in the form of rubbing his face against Mokuba's hair, effectively smearing the cookie batter off his cheek and deep into the soft black locks. When he was satisfied with the cleanliness of his cheek he let out a maniacal laugh.

The brothers finally stopped to look at each other, and there was a brief moment of quiet contemplation before their faces broke into huge grins. It had been some time since they last chased each other around the manor.

Seto took deep breaths as he watched Mokuba produce a folding brush from his pants pocket to try and save his hair from cookie batter related ruin. It was a hopeless cause. Only a shower would fix this and the smell of baking cookies was steadily wafting down the hall. The shower would have to wait.

After a moment Mokuba pocketed the brush and pointed at Seto accusatorially, "if I have to cut my hair because of this, I'll hide all your coats!" There was no real threat in his words as he was still smiling. Turning on his heel he strode purposefully back towards the kitchen. He got no more than three steps away before he was scooped up like a sack of potatoes and flung over Seto's shoulder.

Seto walked at a leisurely pace "as if you could. I have more coats than even you know about. Some you've never even seen." To be honest, he owned more coats than he was proud of. No one needs 30 coats, not even if they all defied gravity and gave him a wide, near impenetrable, personal bubble.

"That's what you think, big brother," Mokuba sounded pleased with himself. "I know you kept the one with wings Pegasus sent you for your birthday two years ago." They were not to speak of the coat, even if Seto did look great with wings.

Seto reached one long finger up to poke Mokuba in a ticklish spot below the ribs in retaliation, causing him to beg uncle. Satisfied with his victory, he walked into the kitchen enjoying the smell of baked goods. With a quick glance to the oven, slowly ticking down from two minutes, he set Mokuba on his feet. It took him a second to see Yugi leaning against the sink with a genuine smile on his face. Unlike so many smiles in the past, this one reached his eyes and it was breathtaking.

Yugi felt Seto's eyes on him before he saw them. He glanced up through long lashes to lock eyes with the taller man, smile still comfortably in pace. "Cookies should be done soon."

Seto didn't respond for a minute as he simply stared at the man before him, beautiful, talented, and happy. Happy, Yugi should always be happy, he had been sad for too long. How long had it been since he saw Yugi so comfortable?

Mokuba went to retrieve the cookies a second before the alarm was set to go off, punching the 'off' button before it could beep. He slipped one hand into an oven mitt, shaped like the claws of a Blue-Eyes, and pulled open the oven door. A wave of delicious chocolate flavored heat escaped, triumphantly declaring cookie related success. 

Once the cookie sheet was safely placed on the oven to cool, Mokuba took in a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh, "mmh! Yugi, you should move in with us. You could pay your rent in cookies!" 

This prompted Yugi to laugh, "no way! I'd never be able to leave the kitchen. The rent on a room in this place must be worth at least a thousand cookies a month!"

Seto was mostly ignoring them by this point and had gravitated to the cooling cookies. With great care, he used a nearby spatula to lift a small cookie from the sheet and onto his hand. It was hot, but not the hottest thing he'd ever held with his bare flesh. This cookie was the product of Yugi's care and hard work, and he would eat the first one. As he lifted the cookie to his mouth he shifted his attention back to others’ conversation.

Mokuba was still teasing Yugi. He switched tactics in his quest for cookie acquisition and gave a sly nudge, "or you could just marry Seto and then you wouldn't have to pay rent at all."

A sputter and a blush met this suggestion as Yugi could not believe his ears. That had to be a joke, right? As if Seto Kaiba, most eligible bachelor in the country, would marry someone for cookies! Even if he would, it wouldn’t be him… right?

At that same moment Seto had been in the process of swallowing the still quite warm and very delicious cookie. His entire body froze and his brain promptly forgot that he should swallow before attempting to speak. Eyes welling with tears, he coughed for a solid thirty seconds before regaining his power of speech. “As if I would marry someone for baked goods, no matter how good they may be!” His heart felt like it was in his throat, along with half a cookie, as he spoke. Leave it to Mokuba to embarrass him by trying to out his completely understandable and not at all juvenile attraction to Yugi.

“Oh no, I forgot. You said you would only marry if they were your competitive equal, enjoyed children’s card games, and could match your wardrobal flair!” The younger Kaiba would not be dissuaded, but decided he would need to take a different approach. It was clear to everyone who cared to look close enough that they were a perfect fit. Now if he could only get them to admit it to themselves and each other…


End file.
